When the San Diego YMCA hired Glen Vaughan in 1970, young athletes interested in gymnastics had few options for developing their skills. Mr. Vaughan, a coach who was deeply passionate about the sport and its capacity to foster personal growth in young people, had to build his program from the ground up.

Over the next four decades, Mr. Vaughan coached thousands of young gymnasts, organized dozens of competitive and educational events and played a pivotal role in establishing the Mission Valley YMCA. He liked to focus on personal growth rather than winning.

“He got as much joy out of seeing a kid do his first back handspring as he did seeing an elite gymnast win an Olympic gold medal,” said Bart Conner, chairman of the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame and 1984 Olympic gold medalist. “That was a sign of his authentic commitment to helping kids maximize their potential and have a fulfilling gymnastic experience.”

Mr. Vaughan died of pulmonary distress Dec. 27 at Sharp Hospital in San Diego. He was 72.

Glen Davis Vaughan was born April 16, 1940 in Denver, Colo. At the age of five, he was given a free membership to the Denver YMCA as a reward for turning in a lost wallet. He learned gymnastics and diving at the YMCA and performed acrobatic acts with a circus.

Mr. Vaughan graduated from what was then Colorado State College with a bachelor’s degree in physical and elementary education in 1963. He started several high school gymnastics teams, coached diving and judged NCAA competitive events in Colorado before the downtown San Diego YMCA hired Mr. Vaughan as associate physical director in 1970.

At first, the gymnastics program was hindered by the facility’s downtown location. The gym was mostly used by men, and getting there at nighttime was scary for the girls Mr. Vaughan coached, said Barbara Baros, a student of his who later became his assistant coach.

Mr. Vaughan arranged for a satellite gymnastics facility on Gaines Street in 1977. It was the YMCA’s first stand-alone facility for gymnastics in San Diego. By 1981 it had grown into the Mission Valley YMCA, which Mr. Vaughan managed as the first interim executive director. He also set up a satellite training facility in Coronado.

While Mr. Vaughan did contribute to the coaching of some Olympic gymnasts, “his main mission was to get gymnasts a college scholarship, and he got dozens over the last few decades,” said Steve Butcher, chief men’s judge for the International Gymnastics Federation.

Mr. Vaughan taught his athletes that points and trophies were less important than reaching one’s personal potential.

“Whereas some people try to win for the sake of winning, [Mr. Vaughan] coached the girls for the sake of giving them the self-esteem and confidence they needed,” said Dick Webster, former executive director of the Mission Valley YMCA.

Mr. Vaughan retired from the YMCA after 25 years, but he continued to coach part-time and volunteered as an organizer and judge at regional gymnastics events. He joined the board of directors of the World Acrobatic Society and the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame and was inducted into the World Acrobatic Society’s Hall of Legends in 2009.